Countryside's Matthews to Iowa State
Countryside star linebacker A.J. Matthews orally committed to play for Iowa State.
Matthews, who had 107 tackles, six sacks and 16 tackles for loss this season, made his on-campus visit to Ames over the weekend.
Iowa State coach Gene Chizik, a former Clearwater High star and later a Seminole d-coordinator, plans to make an in-home visit with Matthews on Wednesday.
ISU lost its second-leading tackler, LB Tyrone McKenzie, earlier this month when he decided to transfer to USF. The Cyclones would like Matthews to play weakside linebacker, using his speed off the edge.
Matthews is the second Countryside player so far to commit to a D-I program; quarterback L.D. Crow (Stanford) is the other.
For more, check out Tuesday's Times...
--- JOE SMITH
The St. Petersburg Times High School Sports blog is written and compiled by the Times preps sports staff from Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties. We invite your participation in the comments area.
It appears that Countrysides coach knows a thing or 2 on how to get his players into D-1 universities. There are some other schools that need to follow suit which will remain nameless.
Posted by: Neutral Observer | January 22, 2007 at 02:42 PM
Wow!!! Don't be afraid to give the kid a little credit for actually working hard to get into Iowa St. Typical Countryside coach!!!
Posted by: | January 22, 2007 at 04:02 PM
Yeah what big egos. It is never that the kid has anything to do with it. Davis has an ego the size of Montana
Posted by: | January 22, 2007 at 04:51 PM
D-1 kids are born that way stop taking credit for it.
Posted by: | January 22, 2007 at 08:48 PM
Height, weight, 40 time. AJ Matthews is a stud, has all the measurables. Not to mention good player. Even Big John will tell you about how many DI players according to parents arent getting DI scholarships. If the Countryside coach is that good - getting DI scholarships to non DI players - I am amazed he didnt get the Head Coaching job with the Oakland Raiders. Give AJ his due for all his hard work physically, in football, and genetically. The big shocker - not every player is D1, no matter what you think of your child.
Posted by: | January 23, 2007 at 10:42 AM
Funny Big John said that when he first found him he was a pudgy unathletic kid just like LD Crow.
Posted by: | January 23, 2007 at 01:36 PM
You people are very funny you actually believe I am a coach or something of Countryside. LOL now that is funny My name is Neutral which I try to be but in fact I am not exactly Neutral because I root for another one of the Counties top teams...... Please believe it is def. not Cside that is a bit of an insult I was just congradulating Davis on being able to get players noticed. The thing is this kid playing at say east lake PHUH or something to that nature would not have gotten the same exposure as he did a cside. Davis did that much for the program and I give him credit for that.
Now Davis needs to get back on the Recruiting trail.
Sorry guys but you got me way wrong on the cside coach thing that was just funny.
Posted by: Neutral Observer | January 23, 2007 at 03:33 PM
C-side coah is an ego maniac. He we on and on in the Times about his QB being a "pudgy unatheltic" kid who he made into star with out any natural talent. All great coaching. He is a horses ass and so are you.
Posted by: | January 24, 2007 at 03:50 PM
He went on and on
Posted by: English Teacher | January 24, 2007 at 04:55 PM
A coach trashing one of his players in the newspaper to make himself look good is a horse's arse. Davis did it in the St Pete times about LD Crow. He is a horse's arse.
Does anyone deny this?
Posted by: | January 25, 2007 at 12:58 PM
are you sure you are talking about davis not jalazo?
Posted by: | February 09, 2007 at 11:06 AM
Jalazo called LD a pudgy unatheletic kid in the Times?
Wow the reporter must have really screwed up that quote to attribute it to Davis.
Posted by: | February 14, 2007 at 04:40 PM